There is one homemade dessert that will forever comfort me and touch my soul. It never fails to lift me up when I need a fix (I take dessert kind of seriously).

This is a brownie recipe created by a lively, whimsical lady in pink glasses. Her name is Amy. Every Fourth of July since I can remember, I have spent at a family friend’s house, surrounded by children festively clad in patriotic dresses and polos. The men clink cool beers that sweat in the heat and crack jokes over the sizzling barbecue. Their wives share gossip and drink sangria around a table with appetizers. They shoo the children away, telling them to stop picking at the chips and dip and save room for dinner.

We spent one Fourth of July at Amy's. I walked into her living room and was bombarded by green and pink floral patterns on the walls, carpets, and couch cushions. She had books piled high in teetering towers in a few corners and her kitchen was something out of a fairytale. The floral seemed to creep across the living room, dining room, and make it's home in the kitchen. She had a plethora of artwork on the walls. Flower paintings, which I thought were redundant on the floral wallpaper. I loved every inch of it. The rooms were foreign to me, our home minimalist and clutter-free. It was hard not to smile at the crowd of mainly men entering the kitchen, surrounded by the pink.

The food has always been the highlight for me at these events. Especially, Amy’s brownies. Other kids drooled over blue raspberry ice pops, but I found myself mesmerized by the dense, chewy dark chocolate squares.

Every time I make these brownies, I imagine her whipping up a batch in her eccentric kitchen, flour in her hair and books strewn across the counter. Without further ado, here is the recipe I have treasured for years...

Amy’s Brownies

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

8 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate. (Green&Blacks is the brand I use)

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup flour

Directions

In a stainless steel bowl over boiling water, melt butter and chocolate together.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs till frothy. Add vanilla to the eggs, then add the sugar. The consistency should be a like caramel.

Add the chocolate mixture. Then stir in the cup of flour. Walnuts are options.

Use parchment paper in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Optional: Put in fridge overnight.

Not Optional: Give them to your friends and share the love.